The present invention relates to electronic luggage tags, and particularly to such tags which are reusable.
Travelers are encouraged or required by airlines to tag their suitcases and other luggage to assist in owner identification. Many travelers use permanent tags with personal information printed or hand written on the tags. Some bags and luggage are equipped with viewing compartments configured to receive a conventional business card carrying the same information. Many airlines even provide travelers with disposable tags on which the travelers can provide personal identification and contact information if the traveler's bags do not include their own tags.
One drawback of such tags is that they are not integrated into airline baggage handling/management systems, which utilize special, machine readable (optically scanned) disposable tags applied by the airlines to each piece of baggage given over to the airline to transport.
Another drawback is that the machine readable disposable tags applied by the airlines are not reusable. Discarded machine readable luggage tags create over a million pounds of waste per year.
It is desirable to provide a permanent luggage tag that could be used repeatedly by travelers, is capable of integration into carriers' baggage handling/management systems in place of single use, printed airline tags, and includes a durable method of connection to traveler's luggage.